15705
Independent researcher/writer based in Hong Kong since 1997. Reformed academic. My long-form, analytical articles are collected here https://laura-ruggeri.medium.com/ email: lauraru852@yandex.ru
🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 A win-win solution. Georgian protesters itching for a new Maidan should be sent to Ukraine to defend "European values" on the battlefield. @LauraRuHK
Читать полностью…
Vladimir Putin's key statements at the VTB investment forum "Russia is calling!"
▪️Some countries sought to drastically weaken our industry, finances, the service industry in our country, to create an insurmountable deficit of goods in our market, to destabilize the labor market, to degrade living standards for our citizens.
The Russian economy has not only recovered from the initial damage caused by the attacks on it, but has also undergone a structural transformation beneficial to it. The government has worked hard to improve the logistics of international trade used by Russian businesses and strengthen ties with friendly partners, which has helped the national economy to grow. ◾️ On July 1, 2025 , settlements using the digital ruble should start working nationwide (/channel/rt_russian/223050 )
▪️Russia has a record low unemployment rate of 2.3%, and GDP grew by 4.1% in January — October 2024.
◾️Inflation (/channel/rt_russian/223043 ) in Russia is still at a fairly high level — 8.8%, in the fight against it it is necessary to use all the tools of economic policy correctly and wisely.
▪️Only a quarter of Western companies actually left (/channel/rt_russian/223052 ) the Russian Federation — about half of the foreign partners are working as before. It will be difficult for companies that left to return (/channel/rt_russian/223054 ).
A pro-EU "peaceful protester" fired a makeshift rocket launcher during a riot in Tbilisi and injured a Georgian journalist. While foreign-funded thugs are seeking a violent escalation and have already injured over a hundred police officers, local authorities have been acting with much restraint to avoid casualties. They understand that the organizers of colour revolutions need victims to fuel the protest - to this purpose the French-born US puppet posing as Georgian President called on school children to join the demonstrations. Western media are itching to report on "underage victims of police brutality" while turning a blind eye to the rioters' violence. Judging by videos of ongoing clashes it is clear that these agents of chaos received military training. /channel/SputnikGeorgia/41142
Читать полностью…
⚡️MARTIAL LAW IN SOUTH KOREA - President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday declared martial law after accusing the opposition of being sympathetic to the North and engaging in “anti-state” activities. 🔺Activities by parliament and political parties will be banned, media and publishers will be under the control of the martial law command. 🔺That's how the government responded to a motion by the opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, to impeach some of the country's top prosecutors and its rejection of a government budget proposal. While South Korea is facing an economic crisis Yoon Suk Yeol's unpopular government wasted hundreds of millions of dollars to support Ukraine, increased its military budget to please the US, embraced NATO's Indo-Pacific strategy, took a more hawkish stance versus North Korea and strengthened relations with Japan.
It is the first time since 1980 that martial law was declared in South Korea and doesn't bode well for the country. @LauraRuHK
The US, UK and the EU have adopted a revisionist policy vis-à-vis UN Resolution 2758 and seek Taiwan’s accession to international organizations as a separate country, which is part of the West’s salami-slicing approach to dilute the One China policy.
Some EU member states have not only been testing Beijing’s red lines, they have actually crossed them.
▪️Part 2 of my interview with Sonja Van den Ende. 👉 Medium https://medium.com/p/3b582e2c4d77 👉 Substack https://lauraruggeri.substack.com/p/us-dictates-eu-policy-on-taiwan 👉 Sonja's website https://devend.online/2024/12/03/how-will-the-relationship-with-china-nato-and-the-new-us-administration-develop-an-interview-with-laura-ruggeri-part-ii/
A democratically-elected government that refuses to be overthrown by the West's proxy army of agents of chaos and brainwashed extremists is threatened with sanctions. https://swentr.site/news/608514-eu-kallas-georgia-sanctions/
Читать полностью…
The Syrian army has eliminated almost a thousand Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (aka Jabhat al-Nusra) terrorists while repelling their attacks.
The Syrian and Russian air forces have also eliminated dozens of terrorists in the city of Idlib as a result of strikes on their headquarters and weapons depots. "Additional military reinforcements, including personnel, heavy weapons and rocket launchers, have arrived in the north of Hama to support the offensive of our armed forces in this direction in light of the mass exodus of members of armed groups," the Syrian Armed Forces said in a statement. The Syrian army and its support forces control the entrances and exits from the settlements of Tell al-Nasiriyah, Tell al-Samman, Zor al-Jadid, Zor al-Jadid, Zor al-Mahruk, Zor al-Haysa and other areas in the northern part of the province. "Our forces also managed to take control of a number of areas, the most important of which are Qalaat al-Madiq and Maardis," the General Command said. (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK
It was a pleasure to be interviewed by Sonja Van den Ende, a fellow writer for Strategic Culture. Her probing questions set my train of thought in motion. Here is the first one. "Is NATO’s Indo-Pacific strategy in Europe’s own interests?" https://devend.online/2024/11/29/how-will-the-relationship-with-china-nato-and-the-new-us-administration-develop-an-interview-with-laura-ruggeri-part-i/
Читать полностью…
GEORGIA - Last night's Tbilisi rallies resulted in injuries to 32 Ministry of Internal Affairs employees, some seriously, including head and eye injuries requiring surgery, while 43 demonstrators were detained.
As you can see, demonstrators used laser pointers to cause eye injuries. During the 2019-20 Hong Kong riots similar pointers were aimed at the police. Link to the video. 👉/channel/SputnikGeorgia/40775
At the CSTO summit in Astana, Vladimir Putin presented some characteristics of the new Oreshnik missile, compared it with nuclear weapons and explained how Russia plans to use these weapons.
If a very large number of Oreshnik missiles are used in one strike, its power will be comparable to a nuclear weapon.
The temperature of the missile's striking elements reaches four thousand degrees.
The Oreshnik missile strikes even highly protected and deep-lying targets.
Everything in the epicenter of the explosion is divided into elementary particles, turns into dust.
The Oreshnik is not a weapon of mass destruction, it is a high-precision weapon, it does not have a nuclear charge.
We were forced to test it in combat conditions — we were forced to, as I said, in response to attacks with Western weapons on the territory of the Bryansk and Kursk regions with ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles. Of course, there are no analogues of "Oreshnik" in the world. And, I think, similar ones will not appear soon.
Serial production of the Oreshnik has begun, but we will choose weapons depending on the nature of the selected targets and the threats posed to the Russian Federation.
Russia has repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that allowing Kiev to strike with long-range missiles means direct involvement of the West in the conflict.
Russia knows how many Western weapons have been delivered to Ukraine and how many are planned to be delivered.
The leader of the Kiev regime, in addition to missiles, begs for other military equipment from his masters.
The leaders of the Kiev regime have lost their legitimacy by not going to the polls, they have no right to give orders to the armed forces.
Those who carry out the orders of the usurpers of power in Ukraine become accomplices in their crimes.
As for production of missile systems and related equipment, in Russia it is ten times more than the total production of all NATO countries combined. And next year, this production will be increased by another 25-30 percent.
Vladimir Putin is in Astana for the second time in 2024, this time on a state visit.
Relations between Moscow and Astana are developing in the best possible way, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"Our relations are both friendly and businesslike. And everything is really developing in the most dynamic scenario, in the best possible way. We are in constant contact," the Russian president told his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Putin pointed to the fact that "a whole series of documents have been prepared [for the current talks]: a joint statement and a whole package [of agreements] in various areas." "Russia remains one of the largest trade and economic partners [of Kazakhstan], with a trade turnover of almost $28.5 billion last year. It is growing, investments are decent - $13 billion in the Kazakh economy," the Russian president noted.
"Of course, we attach great importance to the development of humanitarian ties between civic societies, education, science," Putin pointed out. According to him, the majority of foreign students studying in Russia are from Kazakhstan. The Russian leader also noted the success of interregional cooperation.
Putin thanked Tokayev for his constant attention to the development of relations between Russia and Kazakhstan. "We feel it, we feel the attention of the president of Kazakhstan. We consider Kazakhstan as our reliable friend," Putin emphasized. (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK
Dmitry Medvedev:
American politicians and journalists are seriously discussing the consequences of the transfer of nuclear weapons to Kiev. It seems that my sad joke about the crazy senile Biden, who decided to pass away beautifully, taking with him a significant part of humanity, is turning into a frightening reality. Transfer nuclear weapons to a country that is at war with the largest nuclear power? The idea itself is so absurd that it raises suspicion of the presence of paranoid psychosis in Joe The Walking Dead and all those who argue about the expediency of such a step.
And yet I have to comment on nonsense:
1) the very threat of transferring nuclear weapons to the Kiev regime can be considered as preparation for a nuclear conflict with Russia;
2) the actual transfer of such weapons can be equated to the fait accompli of an attack on our country in the sense of paragraph 19 of the Fundamentals of State Policy in the field of nuclear deterrence.
The consequences are obvious.
China is no country for banksters - especially since it has stepped up its crackdown on financial sector corruption. Liu Lian'ge, former Party chief and chairman of Bank of China, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in a first-instance trial on Tuesday for accepting large sums in bribes.
During his tenure from 2010 to 2023, Liu took bribes of 121 million yuan ($16.7 million) to assist with loans, projects, and personnel arrangements. He approved illegal loans amounting to 3.32 billion yuan from 2017 to 2020, causing losses of over 190.7 million yuan. His illicit gains and their proceeds will be seized and handed over to the state treasury. (Source: Global Times) @LauraRuHK
China is concerned about the US national debt, which has surpassed $36 trillion for the first time in history. The accelerated increase in the US debt presents significant challenges to the global economy, particularly affecting the developing world which is more vulnerable to economic shocks. Consequently, it is increasingly crucial for countries to make long-term strategic plans to mitigate potential financial risks.
China needs to continue advancing the internationalization of the Chinese yuan. Although the internationalization of the yuan is a long-term and complex process, it is only by continuously enhancing the international status of the yuan that China can effectively reduce its dependence on the US dollar. This move would help mitigate the potential adverse impacts of the US debt issue on China's economy.
In addition, developing countries need to actively strengthen multilateral cooperation with each other, fostering economic resilience and bargaining power in the financial world. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202411/1323764.shtml
⚡️Taiwan is deepening cooperation over drone technology with Lithuania, Latvia and Poland. 🔺Last week Taiwan’s Lin Chia-lung, in charge of Foreign Affairs, led a delegation of representatives from 20 Taiwanese drone companies to Lithuania where they attended a forum on drone technologies and signed two agreements as part of Taiwan’s efforts to expand its domestic drone manufacturing industry. 🔺On November 16, an agreement to promote drone development was signed with the Polish-Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 🔺Another MoU was signed with the Latvian Federation of Defence and Security Industries in Riga on Tuesday. @LauraRuHK
Читать полностью…
After a heated debate in the National Assembly 331 of France’s 577 lawmakers voted to oust Prime Minister Michel Barnier in a vote of no confidence after he tried to force through a 'shock therapy' budget that combined tax hikes and social spending cuts to fix the country’s deficit, currently projected at 6.1 percent of gross domestic product. The EU’s second-largest economy will almost certainly enter the new year without a budget and rocked by a political crisis. Germany, the EU's largest economy, is also in distress and the country's ruling coalition has fallen apart. This is what happens when you neglect your national interests to bolster US ones. Supporting US proxy war against Russia and engaging in a trade war with China to please the decrepit hegemon comes at a cost that Europe cannot sustain without buckling. @LauraRuHK
Читать полностью…
FIY. Despite having been married to a Korean man and being knowledgeable about Korean food, traditional music and culture, i am no expert on Korean politics. For this reason i declined an interview about the shortest self-coup in history.
Читать полностью…
South Korea’s President reversed martial law after lawmakers defied him and thousands of citizens took to the streets to demand his resignation and arrest. Yoon’s surprise declaration of martial law, aimed at his political foes, was voted down by 190 lawmakers in parliament. His own party urged him to lift the decree. Under South Korean law, the president must immediately lift martial law if parliament demands it by a majority vote. ▪️The main opposition Democratic Party called for Yoon to resign or face impeachment.
“Even if martial law is lifted, he cannot avoid treason charges. It was clearly revealed to the entire nation that President Yoon could no longer run the country normally. He should step down,” senior DP member of parliament Park Chan-dae said in a statement. The Democratic Party, which holds a majority in Parliament, had recently announced its intention to investigate corruption scandals involving both the president and his wife. ▪️In South Korea the career of a president usually ends in disgrace (jail or suicide). This is a feature of the political landscape of a country under US military occupation - puppets are discarded when no longer useful or just to keep up the pretence of "democracy". In Seoul no regime change happens without the CIA benediction. There is no reason to believe that this tradition will be violated now. @LauraRuHK
China bans exports to US of gallium, germanium, antimony in response to chip sanctions. China announced the decision to tighten export controls on specific dual-use minerals and materials to the United States to safeguard its national security and interests, according to information released by the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday.
Effective immediately, China has prohibited the export of gallium, germanium, and antimony, along with superhard materials. The directive also subjects graphite shipments to the US to stricter scrutiny, particularly regarding end-use and final recipients. China accounts for an overwhelming share of the global production of these minerals. For instance, it provides 94% of the world’s gallium and 83% of germanium, both crucial for semiconductors, fibre optics, and solar technology. The ministry of commerce stated the restrictions aim to safeguard national security and meet non-proliferation commitments since these items also have military application.
Any organization or individual in any country or region found violating relevant regulations will be held accountable under the law, said a spokesperson from the ministry in an online statement.
The commerce official said that the US has overgeneralized the concept of national security, politicized and weaponized economic, trade and technological issues, abused export control measures, and imposed unwarranted restrictions on the export of certain products to China in recent years. China’s latest measure came a day after the United States announced sweeping export restrictions targeting 140 Chinese companies, including leading chipmakers like Naura Technology Group and Piotech. @LauraRuHK
Rioters damaged 48 rooms of the Georgian parliament. Almost all the windows on the side of Chichinadze Street and Rustaveli Avenue were smashed, office equipment was destroyed, the wooden door of the parliament from the side of Chichinadze Street was burned. Rioters broke the heating and cooling units of the central building of the parliament, destroyed the computer laboratory of the training center and the parliament cafeteria.
This was stated at a briefing by the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili. ▪️Meanwhile Salome Zourabichvili, the French-born US puppet posing as Georgian President, refuses to step down from her position despite the end of her mandate in December. @LauraRuHK
NATO’s Indo-Pacific strategy is a component of NATO’s expansionist endeavors to buttress US hegemony. If we were to explain this strategy to a child, we could say its main objective is to “Keep the Americans in, the Chinese out, and the Russians down”, to paraphrase NATO’s first Secretary General, Lord Hastings, who famously said that NATO was created to “keep the Soviet Union out, the Americans in, and the Germans down.”
While US influence in the Asia-Pacific is rapidly waning, China’s is growing. But since the US is unable to match China’s investments, trade and economic relations with Asian countries, it’s hyping non-existing security threats to impose Cold War ‘bloc thinking’ on the states in the Asia-Pacific region, force them to take sides and coerce its allies to fork out more money for defense.
Previous attempts to damage economic relations between China and US allies had focused on ‘human rights and democracy’ but they mostly fell on deaf ears and may have actually contributed to China’s gains in political and cultural influence in the region. That’s why I fear that the US will ramp up its efforts to undermine regional security. NATO’s growing involvement is part of this strategy. https://laura-ruggeri.medium.com/is-natos-indo-pacific-strategy-in-europe-s-own-interests-04116db270c3
▪️Official contacts between Russia and North Korea are the business of the two sovereign countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a briefing, commenting on the visit of Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov to North Korea.
She also stated that she was not aware of the details of Belousov's visit and reiterated that China's position on the Ukrainian crisis remains consistent.(Source: TASS)
▪️Russian Defense Minister Belousov unexpectedly arrived on an official visit to the DPRK. According to the Ministry of Defense, in North Korea, he has scheduled a number of meetings with representatives of the military and military-political leadership of the republic.
Belousov said that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between the Russian Federation and the DPRK is aimed at reducing the risk of war in Northeast Asia. The treaty can help maintain the balance of power in the region and lay the foundation for building a new Eurasian security system, the minister added. (Source: RIA Novosti)
@LauraRuHK
It is telling that the Islamist militants in Syria launched their offensive right after the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect, Huseyin Bagci, professor of international relations and founder of Ankara Global Advisory Group, has told RT.
The terrorist group Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, began a large-scale attack on the city of Aleppo on Wednesday. The past two days have seen the heaviest fighting in the region since 2020.
Speaking with RT on Thursday, Bagci described the fighting as “a very dangerous situation” and said the Syrian military will need to take the territory back and do it quickly.
“There will be a new type of alliance in the coming days,” he said, predicting that Türkiye, Syria and Russia will work together against the al-Qaeda-affiliated militants.
According to Bagci, “external forces” are interested in escalating the conflict in Syria. He named the US, Israel and “certain European countries.”
Türkiye initially backed the rebels that sought to topple the government in Damascus back in 2011, Bagci said, stressing that Ankara has since changed its approach and supports Syria’s territorial integrity.
If HTS militants get stronger, this will create problems for Türkiye, as well as Syria and Russia, and might trigger another surge of migrants into Europe, Bagci predicted. (Source: RT) @LauraRuHK
Life returns to Beirut's southern suburb on the first day of the ceasefire with Israel.
Читать полностью…
The Liberals' idea of democracy: elections are free and fair only when a liberal candidate wins. When voters picked the "wrong" candidate in Romania, at first they were shocked and then went looking for culprits. Now they are scrutinizing the TikTok campaign Georgescu led in the days before the election. Calin Georgescu campaigned on a Nato and EU-sceptic platform, called for the Ukraine war to end, and opposed military aid to Kiev. His message resonated with Romanians.
"We call on the CEO of TikTok to come to speak in this house and to ensure his platform conducted to no infringement under the DSA,"
"Romania is a warning bell: Radicalization and disinformation can happen all over Europe with harmful consequences,"
Biden team may escalate global tensions to highest level, FSB chief warns - Washington is unlikely to change its foreign policy following Donald Trump’s election as US president, while incumbent President Joe Biden’s team may elevate global tensions to the highest level, Alexander Bortnikov, head of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), warned.
"The election of a new US president is unlikely to lead to radical changes in Washington’s foreign policy," he stated at the 20th meeting of the heads of security and intelligence agencies of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, currently convening in Moscow.
"Moreover, it’s possible that, as part of the domestic political battle, the outgoing Biden team will seek to escalate the situation as much as possible in the regions of Eurasia that are key to the Americans, primarily in the post-Soviet nations, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia," he emphasized. "Their main goal is to complicate the next administration’s options to resolve the mounting problems," he added.
According to the FSB chief, the United States, the United Kingdom, and their allies will continue trying "to blatantly interfere in allied relations within the CIS, hinder integration processes, and undermine our joint efforts to ensure security and stability across the Commonwealth."
"Undoubtedly, we all need to be prepared for any sort of provocation," Bortnikov concluded. (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK
Some EU member countries are trying to revise the list of critical technologies that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants to be subject to foreign direct investment (FDI) screening. The screening requirement was one of the measures that the anti-China lobby had pushed through under the "de-risking" strategy.
According to a compromise text prepared by Hungary, which currently chairs the intergovernmental arm of the EU, the revised list no longer includes semiconductors, artificial intelligence or other strategic technologies. It appears that some EU countries are wary of overreach by the Commission into their national competence and demand more control over what investments warrant screening. @LauraRuHK
The EU will pump cash into the American military-industrial complex. France has dropped its opposition to non-EU arms manufacturers accessing EU-funded financial incentives. The main beneficiaries will be the US and UK military industry - American and British companies will be allowed to participate in the EU’s proposed European Defence Investment Plan (EDIP). @LauraRuHK
Читать полностью…
🇷🇴Romania presidential election
Calin Georgescu – who opposes arming and funding Ukraine – has surprised observers by likely topping the first round of the country’s presidential election, according to provisional results.
With more than 80 percent of ballots counted, in the early hours of Monday Georgescu, who has gained traction for his anti-Ukraine war stance, holds 22.1 percent of the vote, narrowly ahead of sitting Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who follows with just over 22 percent.
Georgescu, an ultra-religious and nationalist figure, has campaigned on reducing Romania’s reliance on imports and boosting domestic food and energy production. He has been a vocal critic of Bucharest’s role in the ongoing Ukraine conflict, arguing that NATO and the EU do not represent Romanian interests and suggesting that the war is being manipulated by American military companies. Voter turnout for the election was 52.5 percent, slightly higher than in the 2019 presidential race. The second round of voting is scheduled for December 8, following Romania’s parliamentary elections next Sunday. (Source: RT)